[NS:]Delesa
01-06-2008, 05:06
ooc: i have been absent from NS for a while now and i have been bored lately so i thought well hell why don't i do a detailed explanation of the origins of Delesa. So here it is, working partly hand in hand with true history. The bit about the Saint Army Legend is true, but of course wasn't Charles (duh). And im too lazy at this point to make it all fancy and what not with the superscripts on the web, as it's done in the word version, but the numbers are there.
General Sir Henry Charles of England sat atop his giant black war horse, perched on a low hill looking down into the horizon, where a mass of men were marching under the banners of the first crusade, giant red crosses dominated the sky. They marched through the English countryside, the weather still chilly.
In 1096, Pope Urban II called the first crusade in order to conquer the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and free the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule. Although many of the nobles that came to arms by the request of the Pope where French, General Charles was ordered by his council to raise a force and proceed to the Holy Land and join in the conquest for Jerusalem. In the short time, he was able to recruit some 10,000 crusaders, and 1,500 cavalry. Based in northern England, the traveled south across the land, picking up soldiers and such here and there, waiting till they reached the English Channel to board the ships. They landed in Normandy and under the banner of the Crusade were allowed to pass. For unknown reasons the small army lagged, dragging their feet.
In May of 1097 the leaders of the Crusade, assembled outside the city walls of Constantinople were tried of waiting, and begun their march without Charles’ Army. Even with constant threats from the council, warning Charles to pick up his pace or face giving up command, the General slowly caught up with the Crusade in October of 1097 just in time for the siege of Antioch.
The Princes were furious with Charles’ tardiness and assigned the small army to ‘patrol’ in the rear, to watch for a flanking maneuver by possible enemy reinforcements. In May of 1098 Kerbogha of Mosul approached Antioch to relieve the siege, and a small patrol of Charles’ Army saw them long before they reached the city and warned the Commanders. Bohemond I of Antioch knew that if the crusade was to succeed past this siege the city would have to be taken before Kerbogha arrived. Bohemund secretly established contact with Firouz, an Armenian guard who controlled the Tower of the Two Sisters but had a grudge with Yaghi-Siyan, and bribed him to open the gates.1 On June 3rd most of the city was in the Crusader’s hands apart from the citadel. During May and June there were many desertions as food was low and hope even lower, yet Charles remained with the Crusade and managed to keep many of his men, who were loyal to him personally. On June 5th Kerbogha arrived, and tried to storm the city on June 7th and failed, on the 9th he established his own siege on the city.
More crusaders had deserted before Kerbogha arrived, and they joined Stephen of Blois in Tarsus. Stephen had seen Kerbogha's army encamped near Antioch and assumed all hope was lost; the deserters confirmed his fears. On the way back to Constantinople, Stephen and the other deserters met Alexius, who was on his way to assist the crusaders, and did not know they had taken the city and were now under siege themselves. Stephen convinced him that the rest of the crusaders were as good as dead, and Alexius heard from his reconnaissance that there was another Seljuk army nearby in Anatolia. He therefore decided to return to Constantinople rather than risking battle.2
Monday June 28th the crusaders emerged from the city and confronted the threat head on. According to legend, an army of Christian saints came to the aid of the crusaders during the battle and crippled Kerbogha's army. In reality it was the small and determined Army of Charles. Before the battle the knights and sergeants (infantry) has dawned new white clothes as their uniform with gold crosses sewn on. As the battle drew to an end with the enemy forces now routing, Charles gave the order for his army to pursue the fleeing combatants in order to secure food wagons and the spoils of war. The rest of the army remained behind, tired and starving, hence because of the lack of interaction between Charles’ Army and the rest of the crusaders the legend was born of a saint army.
At this point tensions were high among the crusaders, a plague (perhaps typhus) broke out, killing many, including the legate Adhemar. There were now even fewer horses than before, and Muslim peasants refused to give them food. In December, the Arab town of Ma'arrat al-Numan was captured after a siege, which saw the first occurrence of cannibalism among crusaders. The minor knights and soldiers became restless and threatened to continue to Jerusalem without their squabbling leaders. Finally, at the beginning of 1099, the march was renewed, leaving Bohemond behind as the first Prince of Antioch.
After the battle, Charles’ Army continued it chase of the broken army till no more trails could be found. The men captured were put to work as servants to the knights, and even some lucky Sergeants got some. During December and the acclaimed cannibalism, Charles was still marching back to Antioch and did not take part in the event. Although on their march back the army was getting more and more hungry, and Charles did order the assault of a small town. After the Muslims denied the soldiers food, a riot broke out and the town populace was slaughtered. Many of the slaves were also cut down for no apparent reason and at which point Charles realized that whatever was plaguing the main army, the insanity, disease and the chaos had now infected his own men and time was now short.
Upon arrival at the Holy City on June 7th of 1099, and to the Prince’s knowledge of the battle of Antioch, there were no accounts of anyone seeing Charles’ Army’s banners or men for that matter during the battle, as they had changed back into their regular clothes by the time they had returned to Antioch after the chase. They claimed he had hidden in the city, and now once again sentenced him to patrol the rear. Of course Charles gladly took the assignment, knowing after scouting the surrounding area of Jerusalem that food and water was scarce and would take him men to a place more suitable. Believing that the Princes’ would call upon him to join in the main assault, Charles remained with his men by a small oasis.
Well on July 15th the city was walls were breached, and luckily or unluckily depending on your point of view, Charles was leading a large section of his army on patrol near the city, so as to appear that he was doing his required duty, when the screams of battle could be heard. Fearing the worst that the crusading army was being destroyed, Charles gathered all his men and begun to race to the main camp, to find it basically abandoned and siege towers at the walls. Furious that the Princes’ would initiate the main assault without him or his men, they rushed into the city only to discover the horror so vividly recorded.
According to Raymond of Aguilers "men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins." The chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi states the Jewish defenders sought refuge in their synagogue, but the "Franks burned it over their heads", killing everyone inside. The Crusaders circled the flaming building while singing "Christ, We Adore Thee!”
Disgusted with the sight, and ready to redeem themselves for their own previous sin, Charles ordered his army to attack, the army then begun to kill crusaders. But to no avail, they were numerically outnumbered and forced to flee the city before the majority of the crusading army knew what had just happened. Fearing that word was now beginning to spread about Charles and his army amongst the crusading commanders, he begun a march across the desert, avoiding the Muslims and Christians alike, fearing the consequences that waited for him back in the Christian world, the army fled.
After hiding in the desert for a year, numbers slowly dwindling, in January of 1100 they traveled to the nearest Christian port, and disguised themselves as Knights Hospitallers and stole several naval vessels and begun the search for a new land, fit for a new kingdom.
After several landings and finding the land occupied, and returning to the ships, it wasn’t until 1104 that General Charles found an untainted land for which he could establish a new Kingdom, faithful to God yet not the Pope. And hence the Kingdom of Delesa was born, Delesa being a version of the woman’s name Delicia that is feminine form of the Late Latin name Delicius, which was derived from Latin deliciae "delight, pleasure". Delicia was the name of Charles first wife, who he left behind at home in England at the start of the crusade, and had learned from merchants that she was hanged and burned for his actions in Jerusalem, along with is eight-year-old boy of whom was born a week before he left.
1Capture of Antioch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_o...ure_of_Antioch
2Second siege http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_o...ure_of_Antioch
Feedback would be appreciated!
Also I have been thinking, if you read in my factbook about the expansion that happens right after the establishment of the kingdom, i have been thinking of doing an RP, where of course i would be Delesa and well other people could be their own factions trying to get a slice of land (but would have to lose in the end other wise my modern map won't jive) or you could be local tribes, OR even revengeful crusading armies! All of which would be written into the second part of the history!
General Sir Henry Charles of England sat atop his giant black war horse, perched on a low hill looking down into the horizon, where a mass of men were marching under the banners of the first crusade, giant red crosses dominated the sky. They marched through the English countryside, the weather still chilly.
In 1096, Pope Urban II called the first crusade in order to conquer the sacred city of Jerusalem and the Holy Land and free the Eastern Christians from Islamic rule. Although many of the nobles that came to arms by the request of the Pope where French, General Charles was ordered by his council to raise a force and proceed to the Holy Land and join in the conquest for Jerusalem. In the short time, he was able to recruit some 10,000 crusaders, and 1,500 cavalry. Based in northern England, the traveled south across the land, picking up soldiers and such here and there, waiting till they reached the English Channel to board the ships. They landed in Normandy and under the banner of the Crusade were allowed to pass. For unknown reasons the small army lagged, dragging their feet.
In May of 1097 the leaders of the Crusade, assembled outside the city walls of Constantinople were tried of waiting, and begun their march without Charles’ Army. Even with constant threats from the council, warning Charles to pick up his pace or face giving up command, the General slowly caught up with the Crusade in October of 1097 just in time for the siege of Antioch.
The Princes were furious with Charles’ tardiness and assigned the small army to ‘patrol’ in the rear, to watch for a flanking maneuver by possible enemy reinforcements. In May of 1098 Kerbogha of Mosul approached Antioch to relieve the siege, and a small patrol of Charles’ Army saw them long before they reached the city and warned the Commanders. Bohemond I of Antioch knew that if the crusade was to succeed past this siege the city would have to be taken before Kerbogha arrived. Bohemund secretly established contact with Firouz, an Armenian guard who controlled the Tower of the Two Sisters but had a grudge with Yaghi-Siyan, and bribed him to open the gates.1 On June 3rd most of the city was in the Crusader’s hands apart from the citadel. During May and June there were many desertions as food was low and hope even lower, yet Charles remained with the Crusade and managed to keep many of his men, who were loyal to him personally. On June 5th Kerbogha arrived, and tried to storm the city on June 7th and failed, on the 9th he established his own siege on the city.
More crusaders had deserted before Kerbogha arrived, and they joined Stephen of Blois in Tarsus. Stephen had seen Kerbogha's army encamped near Antioch and assumed all hope was lost; the deserters confirmed his fears. On the way back to Constantinople, Stephen and the other deserters met Alexius, who was on his way to assist the crusaders, and did not know they had taken the city and were now under siege themselves. Stephen convinced him that the rest of the crusaders were as good as dead, and Alexius heard from his reconnaissance that there was another Seljuk army nearby in Anatolia. He therefore decided to return to Constantinople rather than risking battle.2
Monday June 28th the crusaders emerged from the city and confronted the threat head on. According to legend, an army of Christian saints came to the aid of the crusaders during the battle and crippled Kerbogha's army. In reality it was the small and determined Army of Charles. Before the battle the knights and sergeants (infantry) has dawned new white clothes as their uniform with gold crosses sewn on. As the battle drew to an end with the enemy forces now routing, Charles gave the order for his army to pursue the fleeing combatants in order to secure food wagons and the spoils of war. The rest of the army remained behind, tired and starving, hence because of the lack of interaction between Charles’ Army and the rest of the crusaders the legend was born of a saint army.
At this point tensions were high among the crusaders, a plague (perhaps typhus) broke out, killing many, including the legate Adhemar. There were now even fewer horses than before, and Muslim peasants refused to give them food. In December, the Arab town of Ma'arrat al-Numan was captured after a siege, which saw the first occurrence of cannibalism among crusaders. The minor knights and soldiers became restless and threatened to continue to Jerusalem without their squabbling leaders. Finally, at the beginning of 1099, the march was renewed, leaving Bohemond behind as the first Prince of Antioch.
After the battle, Charles’ Army continued it chase of the broken army till no more trails could be found. The men captured were put to work as servants to the knights, and even some lucky Sergeants got some. During December and the acclaimed cannibalism, Charles was still marching back to Antioch and did not take part in the event. Although on their march back the army was getting more and more hungry, and Charles did order the assault of a small town. After the Muslims denied the soldiers food, a riot broke out and the town populace was slaughtered. Many of the slaves were also cut down for no apparent reason and at which point Charles realized that whatever was plaguing the main army, the insanity, disease and the chaos had now infected his own men and time was now short.
Upon arrival at the Holy City on June 7th of 1099, and to the Prince’s knowledge of the battle of Antioch, there were no accounts of anyone seeing Charles’ Army’s banners or men for that matter during the battle, as they had changed back into their regular clothes by the time they had returned to Antioch after the chase. They claimed he had hidden in the city, and now once again sentenced him to patrol the rear. Of course Charles gladly took the assignment, knowing after scouting the surrounding area of Jerusalem that food and water was scarce and would take him men to a place more suitable. Believing that the Princes’ would call upon him to join in the main assault, Charles remained with his men by a small oasis.
Well on July 15th the city was walls were breached, and luckily or unluckily depending on your point of view, Charles was leading a large section of his army on patrol near the city, so as to appear that he was doing his required duty, when the screams of battle could be heard. Fearing the worst that the crusading army was being destroyed, Charles gathered all his men and begun to race to the main camp, to find it basically abandoned and siege towers at the walls. Furious that the Princes’ would initiate the main assault without him or his men, they rushed into the city only to discover the horror so vividly recorded.
According to Raymond of Aguilers "men rode in blood up to their knees and bridle reins." The chronicle of Ibn al-Qalanisi states the Jewish defenders sought refuge in their synagogue, but the "Franks burned it over their heads", killing everyone inside. The Crusaders circled the flaming building while singing "Christ, We Adore Thee!”
Disgusted with the sight, and ready to redeem themselves for their own previous sin, Charles ordered his army to attack, the army then begun to kill crusaders. But to no avail, they were numerically outnumbered and forced to flee the city before the majority of the crusading army knew what had just happened. Fearing that word was now beginning to spread about Charles and his army amongst the crusading commanders, he begun a march across the desert, avoiding the Muslims and Christians alike, fearing the consequences that waited for him back in the Christian world, the army fled.
After hiding in the desert for a year, numbers slowly dwindling, in January of 1100 they traveled to the nearest Christian port, and disguised themselves as Knights Hospitallers and stole several naval vessels and begun the search for a new land, fit for a new kingdom.
After several landings and finding the land occupied, and returning to the ships, it wasn’t until 1104 that General Charles found an untainted land for which he could establish a new Kingdom, faithful to God yet not the Pope. And hence the Kingdom of Delesa was born, Delesa being a version of the woman’s name Delicia that is feminine form of the Late Latin name Delicius, which was derived from Latin deliciae "delight, pleasure". Delicia was the name of Charles first wife, who he left behind at home in England at the start of the crusade, and had learned from merchants that she was hanged and burned for his actions in Jerusalem, along with is eight-year-old boy of whom was born a week before he left.
1Capture of Antioch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_o...ure_of_Antioch
2Second siege http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_o...ure_of_Antioch
Feedback would be appreciated!
Also I have been thinking, if you read in my factbook about the expansion that happens right after the establishment of the kingdom, i have been thinking of doing an RP, where of course i would be Delesa and well other people could be their own factions trying to get a slice of land (but would have to lose in the end other wise my modern map won't jive) or you could be local tribes, OR even revengeful crusading armies! All of which would be written into the second part of the history!